Cousins gives Stratford a formidable 1-2 rushing punch

Updated 7:40 pm, Thursday, December 12, 2013

Photo: Thomas B. Shea, For The Chronicle

Image 1of/1

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 1

11/23/13: Stratford Spartan Terrence Peters Jr. (8) rushes against the Friendswood Mustangs defense in the Class 4 A Division One Play-Off game at Mercer Stadium in Sugarland, Texas. Stratford won 34 to 7.

11/23/13: Stratford Spartan Terrence Peters Jr. (8) rushes against the Friendswood Mustangs defense in the Class 4 A Division One Play-Off game at Mercer Stadium in Sugarland, Texas. Stratford won 34 to 7.

Photo: Thomas B. Shea, For The Chronicle

Cousins gives Stratford a formidable 1-2 rushing punch

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

Rakeem Boyd and Terrance Peters Jr. not only vie for playing time but also for bragging rights within their family.

Boyd, a sophomore, and Peters, a senior, are cousins. Together, they give Stratford one of the state's best running back tandems. Behind a rapidly improving line, Boyd and Peters are among the most critical pieces to an offense that has covered a lot of ground during the school's deepest playoff run in a quarter-century.

They'll renew their competitive fires in the Class 4A Division I state semifinals against San Antonio Brennan at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Reliant Stadium.

Boyd and Peters may need all the motivation they can get against Brennan's powerful defense. The Bears (14-0) have posted nine shutouts and allowed more than seven points only once.

The one thing the Spartans (12-2) have on their side is their running backs feeding off one another.

Moro Ojomo commits to play Football at the University of TexasTexan Live

"If (Boyd) scores a touchdown, I tell Coach that I need to get back on the field so I can score a touchdown," Peters said. "If he gets a certain amount of yards, I want to, too. With us competing against each other, we're unstoppable."

Boyd was brought up to the varsity midway through his freshman year. Peters was a cornerback as a sophomore and made the transition to offense as a junior.

Peters has rushed for 1,450 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. Boyd has rushed for 950 yards and 14 touchdowns.

They both average at least 8 yards per carry, but they do it in different ways. Peters is smaller and better in space. He's at his best when he gets outside. Boyd is more of a downhill runner, unafraid of contact.

"Last year, I wanted to be fancy and juke people," Peters said. "Then I see him run over people, and I think that I want to do that, too. He learned some cutbacks from me."

They have utilized an offensive line that would not have been mistaken for a regional championship group when the season began. All five starters were new to the varsity level. One of them, senior left guard Keenan Powell, had not played offense before this year.

Stratford coach Eliot Allen said the line's consistent hard work has paid off in a big way. The game that stands out to Allen was Fort Bend Marshall. Last year's District 22-4A champ and regional finalist, Marshall had high hopes to repeat both feats. Once Stratford got a 14-0 lead at halftime, Allen turned the offense over to the running game to grind the clock.

"We knew we were running it; they knew we were running it," Allen said. "Although there were some mistakes, they really proved they could move the ball on the ground."

Peters was impressed with the line's performance in the regular-season finale against Ridge Point that decided the district title. The Spartans ran it 42 times, averaging 6.8 yards per carry. Peters rushed for 194 yards and Boyd for 98. Both had a touchdown in the Spartans' 17-3 victory.

"(Ridge Point) had one of the best defenses, and our offensive line pushed on every single play," Peters said. "They deserved the game ball."

Stratford hopes to award another game ball after Friday's state semifinal. It will be a tall task to gain yards against Brennan's defense, which has allowed just five touchdowns. It is anchored by end Derick Roberson, who has committed to play for the University of Texas, and linebacker Grant Watanabe (Colorado).

Brennan's closest game came against Leander Rouse last week, with the Bears winning 30-7 after leading 27-0 at halftime.

"We've been in some pretty good battles," Allen said. "Coming out of this region, you're going to play against tough competition.

"In a tight ballgame, our kids will have been there before. We hope to keep it close and make it a battle."